Quiz: Howstuffworks

Show Off Your Trivia Skills With This General Knowledge Quiz!

Ryan Choate

Image: valentinrussanov/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Some people immediately think of answering questions about movies and world facts or sports when referring to the word trivia. Trivia has become synonymous with a board game and a TV show that makes players guess the question to the answer. Trivia draws crowds to pubs on Tuesday nights to sit around with friends and answer rounds of questions over rounds of beer.

If we consider the definition of trivia, it refers to a kind of knowledge that deals with facts that are unimportant or inconsequential. Try telling that to the daily Jeopardy! champion. Trivia has a place in our culture that is very much relevant and entertaining.

Trivia gained some popularity in the 1950's with a series of TV game shows that centered around question and answers for money. After a scandal broke in 1959 during which a producer was caught secretly giving answers to a contestant, TV trivia shows to a break until the 80's.

A seminal moment in the history of trivia was the invention of the game Trivial Pursuit in 1982. Trivia was back in favor of the mainstream and the board game would go on to sell over 100 million copies. Put your buzzer down and make a final wager to show off your trivia skills on this general knowledge quiz!

What is the capital of Afghanistan?

Kandahar

Kabul

Herat

Islamabad

Kabul is the capital and largest city in the country of Afghanistan. It has a population of 4.6 million people. It is also one of the highest capitals in the world with an elevation of over 5800 feet above sea level.

What sports car company has a car model named the Testarossa?

Ferrari

Lamborghini

BMW

Jaguar

Ferrari is one of the best known sports car companies in the world. Based in Italy they make many styles of sports car including the Testarossa. Ferrari is know around world in the racing scene and also among celebrities for their super fast cars.

Who was the first Vice President of the United States to resign from office?

John Tyler

John C. Calhoun

Martin Van Buren

Millard Fillmore

John C. Calhoun was the Vice President from 1825 to 1832 when he resigned from office. Calhoun was Vice President under President John Q. Adams until he was defeated by Andrew Jackson in 1828. Calhoun resigned from office in 1832.

Where would you find the Sea of Tranquility?

The South Pacific

Mars

Bahamas

The Moon

There are several plains of lava filled areas on the moon that have been dubbed "seas" by astronomers here on earth. The dark areas we can see on the moon areas where craters impacted the moon. These filled with lava and then cooled, creating the dark area we can see from earth.

What year did World War I begin?

1914

1911

1918

1921

In 1914 the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie is seen as the beginning to the first World War. It was the catalyst that brought chaos to the already unstable Balkan Peninsula. The war would last for about 4 years and claimed the lives of an estimated 16 million people.

What movie business icon has the most Academy Awards?

Katherine Hepburn

James Cameron

Steven Speilberg

Walt Disney

As far as actors go, Katherine Hepburn has the most Oscars at 4. Overall though, Walt Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards at 26. Most of those awards came in the area of animation and Best Animated Short.

What is the largest planet in our solar system?

Mercury

Neptune

Jupiter

Uranus

Jupiter is far and away the largest planet in our solar system. The diameter of Jupiter is 11 times larger than Earth. You could fit 1300 Earths inside Jupiter.

What country would you find the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

Italy

France

Spain

England

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions. Located in Pisa, Italy, the tower stands at over 180 feet tall. It began to lean even as it was being built, but steadily got worse over the years since it was completed in 1372.

The Charge of Light Brigade was a battle fought in which war?

Korean War

Crimean War

Vietnam War

Civil War

The Charge of the Light Brigade was a battle fought during the Crimean War which took place in 1854. British troops were sent to the Crimean peninsula to form a sneak attack on Russian troops. The British forces were ill prepared and suffered heavy casualties.

Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776?

John Hancock

Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Benjamin Franklin

The United States Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, declaring the original 13 colonies as independent states from the rule of Britain. The first to sign the document was John Hancock, followed by 56 others, including future presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

What Shakespeare character says, "Goodnight, sweet prince" to Hamlet?

Polonius

Horatio

Othello

Rosencrantz

In the Shakespearean play "Hamlet," Horatio is a character who is friends with Hamlet. In the final act, Hamlet drinks poison. Horatio utters the famous words, "goodnight, sweet prince" in reference to Hamlet dying.

What is the third sign of the Zodiac?

Taurus

Gemini

Pisces

Aries

Gemini is the thirds sign of the Zodiac. Known as the caring twins sign, it is for birthdays between May 21 - June 20. Geminis are gentle, affectionate, curious, adaptable, ability to learn quickly and exchange ideas.

Who, after anchoring off the Hawaiian Islands in 1779, was thought to be the god Lono?

Captain James Cook

Julian DuBuque

Alexander Von Humboldt

Gaspar De Portola

Captain James Cook was a British explorer who made several key discoveries in the Pacific including 3 visits to the Hawaiian Islands. The first two encounters were friendly, but his third visit was met by hostile Hawaiians who attacked his crew. He was subsequently killed in 1779.

How many dots total are on two dice?

54

48

60

42

A single dice has 6 sides ranging in value from 1 through 6. If we total that number we get 21 and if we have 2 dice, that doubles to 42.

How many U.S. states have a border along the Gulf of Mexico?

5

3

4

6

The Gulf of Mexico encompasses a portion of the U.S. along the southern border. The five states that share a border with the gulf are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

What is the diameter of the earth?

8,000 miles

12,000 miles

26,000 miles

19,000 miles

If you sliced the earth in half and measure the distance across it would be around 8,000 miles! The diameter of a circle is the measure across it at its widest point. Measuring around the entire earth, its circumference would be about 24,900 miles.

What major urban area has the largest population in the world?

Tokyo

Delhi

Mexico City

Shanghai

With a very crowded population of 37,468,302, Tokyo is the most populated urban region in the world. Tokyo has nearly 10 million more people than second place Delhi in India.

Which pop music album is number 1 all-time in sales?

Thriller, Michael Jackson

Their Greatest Hits, The Eagles

Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin

The Wall, Pink Floyd

For decades, the best selling album of all time was Thriller, by Michael Jackson, with over 33 million copies sold. Recently The Eagles album of their greatest hits surpassed the king of pop with over 36 million copies sold.

What famous artist painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City?

Caravaggio

Raphael

Michelangelo

Da Vinci

The Sistine Chapel contains one of the world's most famous permanent art collections. The ceiling and walls were painted used a method called fresco. The Sistine Chapel was created over a period of 4 years between 1508 - 1512.

Entomology is the science that studies what?

Insects

Snakes

Birds

Herpetologists

The branch of zoology that deals with insects is known as entomology. Scientists study all different types of insects and different anthropology, environmental impacts, etc. Zoology is the broader umbrella of studying animals.

What continent has the least amount of flowering plants?

Antarctica

Australia

Asia

Africa

The continent with the least amount of flowering plants is Antarctica. The cold continent only has two flowering plants: Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. Both are found along the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

What NFL team won the first Super Bowl?

Kansas City Chiefs

Green Bay Packers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

The first Super Bowl of professional football was held in 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. The game was played in Los Angeles at the Coliseum. The Packers went on to win the game 35-10.

When did the Cold War end?

1985

1992

1989

1995

The Cold War was more political muscle flexing than actual combat. The Soviet Union and United States were embroiled in a race to put a man on the moon and show domination in a race for nuclear weapons. The tension revolving around Communism was a driving force behind the tensions of the Cold War. The Cold War ended in 1989 as the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union was disassembled.

Who was the first American to go into space?

Chuck Yeager

Buzz Aldrin

Neil Armstrong

Alan Shephard

In 1961,Shephard became the first American in space in a one man Mercury spacecraft. He did not orbit the earth, but was in space. The whole mission lasted about 15 minutes.

What famous politician can be attributed with the quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for you country?"

Ronald Reagan

John F. Kennedy

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Franklin Roosevelt

John F. Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States in 1960. In January of 1961, at his inaugural speech, he famously called for all Americans to contribute in some way to the common good. His famous quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" was immediately immortalized in historic presidential speeches.

What was the name of the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945?

Flying Goose

Little Boy

Enola Gay

Spirit of St. Louis

The Enola Gay was the name of the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb during WWII. It was named after the pilot's mother Enola Gay Tibbets. The bomb essentially put an end to the war.

What is the world's biggest island at over 800,000 square miles?

Madagascar

Baffin Island

Greenland

New Guinea

Greenland is the largest island in the world by far at 840,000 square miles. The second largest is New Guinea at less than half the size, 303,000 square miles. Greenland is almost entirely covered in ice and snow.

What Great Lake state has more shoreline than the entire U.S. Atlantic seaboard?

Michigan

Illinois

New York

Ohio

As its nickname implies, Michigan, the Great Lake state, has more shoreline than all of the Atlantic states. The shoreline tops in at a whopping 3,288 miles! That's almost enough shoreline to stretch across the entire length of the U.S.

What is the largest bone in the human body?

Cranium

Radius

Tibia

Femur

The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the human body. The femur is located in the upper thigh region of the leg and attaches to the hip and the knee.

The Nobel Prize in Literature was once awarded to a famous British Prime Minister. Can you pick who?

Clement Attlee

Winston Churchill

Tony Blair

Margaret Thatcher

In addition to being a famous figure in British history, Winston Churchill was also noted for his brilliant writing. After being pushed out of power, he began amassing a collection of writings including letters and memoirs on World War II that would be published in 1953. He would be awarded the Nobel that same year.

Who assassinated president Abraham Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth

Johnny Lee Ray

Jim Henry Ford

Jesse James

In 1865, during a play at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Abraham Lincoln. After shooting Lincoln, Booth jumped onto the stage and proclaimed, "Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged." Booth was on the run for about a week before being caught.

How many track events are in the Olympic decathlon?

12

10

7

5

The olympic decathlon consists of 10 different track and field events. The events include four track and six field events, a total of 10 events. Competitions include 100-meter sprint, 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter event, 1500-meter event, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw and pole vault.

What color is the jersey worn by the leader of the Tour De France bike race?

Red

Green

Yellow

Blue

The Tour De France is an annual bike race through the country of France. Riders climb through the Alps in route to a finish like in Paris. The race takes place over the month of July every summer. The daily race leader wears a Yellow jersey.

What famous novel was originally published in Britain under the name "The Whale"?

"Treasure Island"

"The Old Man And The Sea"

"Moby Dick"

"The Origin of Species"

Herman Melville's classic novel follows a young whaler named Ishmael as he goes on a harrowing adventure at sea with his maniacal captain Ahab. The book was originally published under the title "The Whale," but is printed today under the title "Moby Dick."

Name the 1969 movie classic starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda?

"The Longest Yard"

"Deliverance"

"Easy Rider"

"Hell's Angels on Wheels"

The 1969 movie about a couple of motorcycle riders heading out across country is called Easy Rider. The characters played by Hopper and Fonda head out from California to Mardi Gras and encounter all different sorts of people along the way.

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